Paul Marc Maslansky (born November 23, 1933) is an American film producer and writer best known for the ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or ot ...

'' movies.

Early life

Maslansky was born in

Rego Park, New York Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, to the east and south by Forest Hills, and to the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queens ...

on November 23, 1933. He played jazz for a living while briefly attending law school in New York. He graduated from

Washington & Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexing ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

in 1954.

Career

Maslansky has 41 film credits as producer or executive producer. His first production credit was for 1964's ''

Castle of the Living Dead ''Castle of the Living Dead'' ( it, Il Castello dei Morti Vivi, french: Le Chateau des Morts Vivants) is a 1964 horror film directed by Warren Kiefer. It was released in English under the title ''Crypt of Horror''. It was Kiefer's first film as ...

'', which starred

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...

. Initially, Maslansky used his middle initial in his credits, though this was later dropped. Maslansky worked throughout the 1960s and 1970s as producer, notable credits include ''

Race with the Devil ''Race with the Devil'' is a 1975 American action horror film directed by Jack Starrett, written by Wes Bishop and Lee Frost, and starring Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Lara Parker. This was the second of three films Fonda a ...

'', ''

Damnation Alley ''Damnation Alley'' is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Roger Zelazny, based on a novella published in 1967. A film adaptation of the novel was released in 1977. Plot introduction The story opens in a post-apocalyptic Southern C ...

'', '' The Villain'', and '' Love Child''. Maslansky was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for the 1978 series ''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

''. Maslansky had a breakthrough hit with ''

'' in 1984. From a budget of $4.1 million, the film grossed $155 million and spawned a film franchise and television series '' Police Academy: The Series'', which Maslansky wrote. He frequently made cameo appearances in the ''

'' movies. Maslansky's notable credits following ''Police Academy'' include 1985's ''

Return to Oz ''Return to Oz'' is a 1985 dark fantasy film released by Walt Disney Pictures, co-written and directed by Walter Murch. It stars Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. The film ...

'', 1990's ''

The Russia House ''The Russia House'' is a spy novel by British writer John le Carré published in 1989. The title refers to the nickname given to the portion of the British Secret Intelligence Service that was devoted to spying on the Soviet Union. A film ba ...

'' and '' Fluke'' in 1995. Maslansky has the Lenfest Center for the Art's 'Maslansky Rehearsal Hall' in Lexington named after him.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

; As writer ; As an actor ; Production manager ; As director ; Second unit director or assistant director ; Miscellaneous crew

Television

; As writer ; As an actor

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maslansky, Paul 1933 births Living people 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople 20th-century American screenwriters American television writers Film producers from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Washington and Lee University alumni Writers from Queens, New York